- pictured Leor Sagi and random girl playing music before competing in BJJ – this has nothing to do with Zolthan Bathory. Bathory was in a different version of featured image due to his association with Music and because he’s a BJJ black belt.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Jean Jacques Machado has stirred controversy by asserting that playing music during training sessions goes against the traditional practices of the martial art.
In a recent video, the black belt expressed concerns about the increasing trend of incorporating music into BJJ training environments. He argued that this practice deviates from the teachings of respected figures like Rickson Gracie and the Gracie family, who emphasize a more focused and humble approach to training.
This is especially funny considering Rickson Gracie claimed he was 400-0 in MMA – a record so absurd even his own father disputed it.
The instructor explained that music can be divisive due to varying personal preferences and may inadvertently increase aggression on the mats. He stated, “Music gets the body grooving. It creates a little bit more aggression. So if you want an aggression-based studio, you would use music.”
The man in the video is allegedly BJJ Black Belt Leor Sagi.
Contrasting this with traditional training methods, he highlighted the importance of concentration and timing in BJJ. “When I visit studios that don’t play music, traditional studios, there’s a threat. You can see the concentration level and when you look around the mat, the concentration level is very tight,” he observed.
The black belt expressed particular concern about the impact on newer practitioners, suggesting that those who begin training in music-filled environments may not realize their full potential. “It’s very sad to see that studios are normalizing this and getting the future generation into needing music in order to grapple,” he remarked.
While not entirely dismissing the use of music, the instructor advocated for a more balanced approach. He suggested that occasional use of appropriate music at a reasonable volume could be acceptable, but emphasized that training without music should be the norm.
This isn’t unheard of – Khabib Nurmagomedov’s infamous academy does not play music. The only scientific basis to claim that music during training was negative would be the fact that it doesn’t approximate the average BJJ competition as such it’s not a great approximation when you’re preparing for a competition. Beyond that it’s complete tom foolery.
This stance has sparked debate within the BJJ community, with some practitioners supporting the traditional approach while others defend the use of music as a tool for motivation and creating a positive training atmosphere.
